Nicole Richie is an American socialite, television personality, fashion designer, author, and actress. She became famous starring in the reality show The Simple Life, alongside Paris Hilton. She is married to musician Joel Madden, with whom she has two children.

Nicole’s biological father, Peter Michael Escovedo, was a band member of Lionel Richie’s band, and is a percussionist and musical director. Escovedo is of Mexican (including Spanish and Indigenous) and Louisiana Creole (including French, African, and distant English, ancestry) descent, and is the brother of singer, drummer, and percussionist Sheila E. (Sheila Escovedo).

Nicole’s biological mother, Karen Moss, is said to have been a backstage assistant of the band. It is unclear what Karen’s ancestry is. Nicole still keeps in contact with her biological mother.

Nicole’s biological paternal grandfather is Pete Escovedo (Peter Michael Escovedo, the son of Pedro “Peter” Escovedo Barrera and Anita L. Valenzuela). Pete was born in California, and is a percussionist. Pedro was a Mexican immigrant, from Saltillo, Coahuila, and had Spanish and Indigenous Mexican ancestry. Pedro’s parents were Manuel Escovedo Rodríguez and María Hipólita Barreda Escobedo. Anita was also of Mexican origin.

Nicole’s biological paternal grandmother is Juanita Marie Garderé (the daughter of Nicholas Alphonse Garderé and Marie Laura Pelletier). Juanita was born in California. Nicholas and Marie were Lousiana Creoles (of French, African, and distant English, ancestry). Nicholas was the son of Ernest Alphonse Garderé and Louise Mary Leclerc. Marie was the daughter of Joseph Ernest Pelletier and Marie Laetar Laure Nabonne.

Another white looking Puerto Rican girl who is only 73% European and 13% Indian, and 13% Subsaharan black African . You can be black mixed and not look black or have dark skin.
LINK:https://youtu.be/z3l8Y5Z06x8

@midori29 She didn’t have a nose job. She looks dark in her younger pictures because of tanning. My friends daughter is darker than Nicole because they allow her to tan. Nicole used to claim (for the longest time) that Lionel Richie was her birth father.

And you crack me when you think someone with European and recent African ancestry would generally look WHITE. Yes, in rarity they can be more on the white side. But you always have to be suspicious. Remember, this is the comments section. Relax.

@Capricious its not rare. if you have been around enough black and mixed people alot of them are born looking very very light skinned, almost white. My uncle is only 25% white and he is pink skin pale. Only the media makes it seem rare because alot of mixed people pass for white or people just think are are fully white.

I’m very relaxed, I’m just doing the same as you by
commenting. Now it’s not a rarity , I have give many example over the time I’ve been on the site , of mixed bloods who look completely white. Also if a mixed who looked completely white was standing right in front of you, you wouldn’t know unless he/she told you. Just like if you saw Lucy and Maria Aylmer walking down the street, your mind wouldn’t think they were sisters, much less twins

First you say,You can’t always tell who’s mixed and isn’t. However, you contradict yourself by saying But when it comes to African and whites, it’s very obvious. Which one is it ? In your early comment, you admit to there being rarities, so therefore by your own statement, it isn’t always obvious. the truest part of your comment is when you stated (it’s just what you have seen ). That’s the whole point about passing as white, is not to advertise that you’re part black. The people that either have met, or you see online, want you to know

@Capricious just go on youtube and google DNA tests , most people who are 25%-30% black subsaharan or less African tend to look fully white. And 25% and 30% is still a large amount of black African dna. Alot of Puerto Ricans are 25% black and can pass for Southern European. youtube video links . THIS WHITE LOOKING PUERTO RICAN GIRL IS ONLY 60% EUROPEAN AND 20% BLACK AFRICAN, rest native. Lots more like her
Links: https://youtu.be/Cud1GJA-8jA

I am sure that Nicole’s Mexican ancestry includes indigenous Mexican because of her ancestors’ (Felipe Rodríguez de la Serna and María de Jesus Tornera Rodríguez) marriage record’s castes: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11084-112553-82 (Please, don’t cite this because this is now too far. I comment this to verify her specific Mexican ancestry. So far, no Spanish or African ancestry has been verified yet.)

Since we don’t know her mother’s bloodline. .she could easy be consider a Rican, but her dad is mexican and black, and Shelia E is her auntie? Why did Leonel adopt her, does anyone know? This girl’s bio daddy wasn’t a bum..and had a good career as a musican, why didn’t he raise her? Naw something ain’t right in the kitchen. .

Ethnicelebs, thanks so much for putting “European” instead of “Caucasian” as her ethnicity! Lol however, maybe y’all should specify on “Creole” by saying “Louisiana Creole” since there are numerous creole ethnicities…sooo, can I ask for a “CORRECTION”??? :)

Definitely as a young girl tri-racial, blatino (black-latin)and white mixture. When she became older she colored her hair blond and used lighter make up than her complexion, she’s definitely a coco brown complexion as a kid..you can see that..and her adopted mother is african american, Leonel Ritchie ‘ s wife..and Leonel her adopted father is african american also. .

I don’t think she could pass for those. But spanish, black and other European groups. If she said she was greek, Italian or Spanish I doubt people would believe her. But clearly she has european with mix black on her.